Whitehall could have a wider talent pool by using interim management

Peter Buffoni, principal consultant specialising in interim management recruitment for Central Government at OdgersInterim told the The Guardian in their Interim Management Supplement on 26.11.09 that "There is pressure on budgets and central government are trying to remove a lot of non permanent staff from their books".

A spokesman for Buying Solutions says a new framework is to replace the existing deal with specialist contractors and says the agency remains committed to treating smaller firms fairly. But Buffoni at OdgersInterim says it is not the size of agency that matters but the quality of service. He thinks government departments trying to cut costs are creating more work for themselves. "if you are a client in a central government department who needs to hire an interim manager and you go through the framework, you will work with three or four agencies and will be forced to wade through dozens of CVs. The procurement process misses the value of knowing people and the networks they come from. We know how good they are"